Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi has dismissed rumours that he could join Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal during the January transfer window, telling reporters that the constant speculation is nothing but talk.

Tuttosport (h/t Sport Witness, Metro.co.uk’s Tom Olver) previously reported that the Reds and Blues would battle it out for his services, while Corriere Dello Sport (h/t Unibet’s Adam Digby) claims Arsenal are preparing a €45 million bid.

But Icardi has no intention of leaving the Italian fashion capital, as he told Mediaset (h/t ESPN FC’s David Amoyal):

The 22-year-old hasn’t had a great start to the 2015-16 campaign with four goals in 11 Serie A appearances, which is less than what we’ve come to expect from the striker. Last year, he bagged 22 league goals, per WhoScored.com.

Despite his tender age, Icardi is incredibly experienced, making his debut with Sampdoria in 2012. Per OptaPaolo, his numbers since then look impressive:

Icardi is an opportunistic striker with superb instincts and the physical tools to be a success in every league. His movement away from the ball is fantastic, and he’s not afraid to try his luck from long distance, which often leads to spectacular goals, as seen below:

He left Sampdoria for Inter in 2013 following a controversy involving team-mate Maxi Lopez, per Paolo Bandini of the Guardian, and quickly became the main attacking outlet for the Nerazzurri. Like city rivals AC Milan, Inter have endured a rough stretch of late, and the side isn’t as talented as the treble-winning team from a few years ago.

This partly explains Icardi‘s sloppy start to the season, as Inter are counting on him to force the issue far too much. As explained by Digby, he has looked far better of late thanks to a few tactical changes:

Despite a number of run-ins with Roberto Mancini, the Coach has made Icardi his captain this season, seeing his faith rewarded with some increasingly mature performances. His form has improved as the current campaign has progressed, and certainly benefited from Inter’s more positive approach this past weekend as they demolished newly promoted Frosinone.

Triumphing by an emphatic 4-0 scoreline with Icardi bagging the second goal of the game, playing a lone role up front rather than having Rodrigo Palacio taking up space beside him.

Plenty of clubs were interested in his services last summer, but Icardi signed a new deal in June, per ESPN FC. He was also awarded the captain’s armband, a clear sign that Inter would do whatever it takes to keep him at the club and build around him.

Icardi clearly feels comfortable in Italy, and Inter have been steadily building a talented side that finds itself at the top of the Serie A standings as we speak.

The new deal he signed last summer indicates that he believes in the club and wants to stick around, so any prospective club will find it difficult convincing him he should leave at this time.

 

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